At some point, writing has to be wrestled with alone.

Most writers I know would not define that as a negative. They are longing to dig into the ideas and stories that only ‘alone time’ can nurture. It’s their raison d’etre.

But how to actually get writing done? How to buckle down to work, form the text, and see a project through?

Author Maya Angelou rented a hotel room in her hometown by the month, and would sequester herself there each morning to write as though in an office, but sprawled across the bed, all the art taken off the walls. One less distraction. Angelou would go home around one each afternoon and consider her words of the morning, repeating the process each day.

Katy Aalto, the author of Writing Wild, with whom I worked throughout the spring, told me that before the pandemic she’d take herself off to a local hotel and write in the lobby. The staff knew her and saved her favorite spot. An extrovert in the flow of hubbub, she was able to isolate her thoughts there.

Work With Others

But around the edges of quiet time spent wrestling with words, I have found working with a community of others has been a game-changer.

It helps me get the writing done.

The Creative Circle is the group I have been in for six or so years.

We join from across two continents, not on Zoom but on the platform Whereby. We plan annually and meet monthly for a 90-minute chat to see how those goals are progressing. But we also meet twice a week to actually get the work done—chat for a while then set a timer, work in silence, and check in at the end with how the work went.

Lockdown

March 21st, 2020 saw me meeting as usual with the Creative Circle’s monthly check-in.

I was supposed to be packing for a trip to London which of course would be canceled. Perhaps because it was such an unusual day … lockdown and all, I drew the screen.

Splendid Isolation does not need to be the lot of a writer. It was astonishing to us to see the world join in what we had quietly pursued as our ideal for several years.

10 Benefits of Co-Working

These are some benefits I’ve enjoyed from the format:

A defined amount of time in which to contain the work
Accountability
Help to brainstorm ways you typically get stuck
Encouragement and community
Perspective from the experience of others
Cross-pollination of ideas, resources, opportunities
Time spent planning
Work accumulates gradually over time
A defined break after a session
Celebrate with others

Co-Working Groups You Can Join

When friends hear about The Creative Circle they wonder if they can join. It is a closed group. But there are other opportunities open to all that I’ve found and regularly attend. They have a similar vibe and are just as helpful.

Helen McLaughlin’s Get It Done Day. One day a month to work together over a four-hour span—with a break for lunch and numerous check-ins—to knock off those stubborn stuck jobs you just don’t want to do. Free to join and fun camaraderie.
The London Writers’ Salon Writers’ Hour. Four different one-hour sessions each work day to write quietly together. Heavy-duty writing accountability and free to join! State your intentions in the Zoom chat and also how it went at the end. The LWS sprung up as a result of the pandemic. It has grown in popularity to include writers from all over the world who join in as many of the four daily sessions that suit their time zone. A paid membership brings further benefits but this is officially Awesome!
The London Writers’ Salon Goal Setting Workshop for Writers. Once-a-month hour of guided planning, also free. It blew me away when I first joined and has proved transformative. Scroll through Events and look for “Make [month name] Your Month of Writing” to register for the upcoming live session or find the replay of the one just passed. Includes a downloadable goal-setting workbook.
Work alongside Michael Nobbs, the originator of our Creative Circle. Join Michael via recording for twenty-minute work sessions and “move your creative life along just a little bit.” For Patreons. Small monthly fee.
A weekly two-hour work session with children’s novelist Melissa Wiley for Patreon subscribers at the ‘Laptop’ level. Check-in before and after each hour and get some writing or other creative pursuit done. Small monthly fee.
Set up your own co-working session with like-minded friends. If you want to try Whereby instead of Zoom, you can use a free version. For the group I’m in, we pay annually for unlimited meeting time and divide the cost between us.